UDP Full Form

UDP Full Form


Introduction of UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

User datagram protocol (UDP) operates on top of the Internet Protocol (IP) to transmit datagrams over a network. UDP does not require the source and destination to establish a three-way handshake before transmission takes place. Additionally, there is no need for an end-to-end connection.

Since UDP avoids the overhead associated with connections, error checks and the retransmission of missing data, it’s suitable for real-time or high performance applications that don’t require data verification or correction. If verification is needed, it can be performed at the application layer.

 

Purpose of User Data Protocol

UDP is commonly used for Remote Procedure Call (RPC) applications, although RPC can also run on top of TCP. RPC applications need to be aware they are running on UDP, and must then implement their own reliability mechanisms.

 

Advantages of UDP

UDP has a number of benefits for different types of applications, including:

  • No retransmission delays – UDP is suitable for time-sensitive applications that can’t afford retransmission delays for dropped packets. Examples include Voice over IP (VoIP), online games, and media streaming.
  • Speed – UDP’s speed makes it useful for query-response protocols such as DNS, in which data packets are small and transactional.
  • Suitable for broadcasts – UDP’s lack of end-to-end communication makes it suitable for broadcasts, in which transmitted data packets are addressed as receivable by all devices on the internet. UDP broadcasts can be received by large numbers of clients without server-side overhead.

Disadvantages of UDP

  • No guaranteed ordering of packets.
  • No verification of the readiness of the computer receiving the message.
  • No protection against duplicate packets.
  • No guarantee the destination will receive all transmitted bytes. UDP, however, does provide a checksum to verify individual packet integrity.

Working Process of UDP

User datagram protocol is a standardized communication protocol that transfers data between computers in a network. However, unlike other protocols such as TCP, UDP simplifies data transfer by sending packets (or, more specifically, datagrams) directly to the receiver without first establishing a two-way connection. UDP does not indicate the transmission order for its datagrams or even confirm their arrival.

UDP features checksums for ensuring data integrity and port numbers for defining the role played by the data being transmitted. However, it does not feature a mandatory ‘handshake’ between the sender and the receiver before the commencement of data transfer.